Police access to phone records becomes law

Emergency legislation giving the police and security services access to people’s phone and internet records cleared the Lords today will become law.

Peers took just two hours to push through the remaining stages of the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill, which was then given Royal Assent from the Queen.

There was anger in both the Commons and the Lords over the Government’s use of fast-track procedure to get the measure through in just three days. But with the backing of all three main parties, its provisions remained unscathed.

The Bill was introduced after an April ruling by the European Court of Justice, which the Home Office insists throws doubt on existing regulations and could mean communications companies begin deleting vital data used to investigate and prosecute serious crimes.